Your Ideal Folder for Hiking & Backpacking is....

[Notsurewhy]

Salt 2 in lc200n. Don't need a knife much during backpacking but you definitely don't want to be without if you need one. The salt is ultra lightweight, tough and capable.

On a side note, it would be cool if Spyderco offered a backpacking knife in a bright blue for easy visibility in the woods. Salt Green and bright yellow are great for viability on a boat or inside, but depending on the time of year, can disappear easily in the woods.

[toomanyquestions]

...Most people I meet on Calif trails are 'lefty-crunchy' and not knife people. I don't want to make anybody nervous....

...(I think you should have specified the LW Nat Chief in your poll. Also your 'salt series' overlaps with other choices.)...

...Honestly a backpacking knife is more of a psychological comfort in case of a bad situation. I was once in a tense situation with three Rottweilers and cursed myself for being weaponless, and swore never to let that happen again.

Lefty-crunchy -- :) -- I think it is good to mention perception, it gives younger forum members something to consider.

I added the Chief LW per your suggestion (but paired w/the Chief due to the 10 choice limit). I used Salt Series broadly because of the choice limits; yet I realized (because of our earlier discussion) that some might prefer a Salt version of a classic.

Bad situation: from my experience a 1 on 1 stare down with a canine still feels dicey with a 3" EDC lockback!

A while back I began pondering hog country hikes...An unpleasant thought if a person's state has restrictive laws.

[TimButterfield]

For getting wet and/or dirty/muddy, I like the Salt series. However, my carry would probably be the Native 5 Salt in Magnacut. Unfortunately, the poll does not allow a combined vote.

[pleadnotguilty]

Leatherman wave

[Water Bug]

My ideal/preferred Spyderco for hiking, backpacking, or field work would be the original Spyderco Manix C95 PE lockback. Love the flat grind on the blade and the beautifully contoured handle for a secure grip. It's a big knife that'll do both big jobs and fine work. I also like the dependability of a lockback out in the field.

[toomanyquestions]

I don't buy folders with hikes and backpacking in mind, I like convex grind fixed blades in 3V for that.

I am a little bit of a fixed blade guy myself. However, I am always inclined toward 2 is 1, and 1 is none. So it is not uncommon for me to take a folder and a right-sized fixed blade, particularly in more rural areas.

[kobold]

I don't buy folders with hikes and backpacking in mind, I like convex grind fixed blades in 3V for that.

I am a little bit of a fixed blade guy myself. However, I am always inclined toward 2 is 1, and 1 is none. So it is not uncommon for me to take a folder and a right-sized fixed blade, particularly in more rural areas.

Can't agree more, it's good to have a backup, but for that I often take a Victorinox One Hand Trekker or the Ranger Grip, for their "must have" scale tools and saw, awl and the rest.
I think I watched way too many Felix Immler videos. :-)

[ladybug93]

I don't buy folders with hikes and backpacking in mind, I like convex grind fixed blades in 3V for that.

I am a little bit of a fixed blade guy myself. However, I am always inclined toward 2 is 1, and 1 is none. So it is not uncommon for me to take a folder and a right-sized fixed blade, particularly in more rural areas.

Can't agree more, it's good to have a backup, but for that I often take a Victorinox One Hand Trekker or the Ranger Grip, for their "must have" scale tools and saw, awl and the rest.
I think I watched way too many Felix Immler videos. :-)

that dude is great! i love my rangergrip 79. prior to that becoming my favorite, it was the camper. the 79 has the same toolset (minus the small blade), but its locking and has a larger blade and saw. so good!

[Ryder]

In 1987 I saw my first Spyderco models in Sharp Stuff a very unique shop that doesn’t even exist anymore. The CoPilot was chosen to accompany me on countless aerial survey missions. Always liked small, capable blades. Then I bumped into the Dragonfly in the incomparable K390. The sizes are similar when closed. The Dragonfly is far lightweight at 1.2 oz. The ergonomics are night and day, just incredible to the point of changing the laws of physics.

This year, 2023 we have hiked approximately 1500 miles in our wilderness of mountains and canyons over steep, rocky terrain and prefer traveling light and fast. That’s how many miles the Dragonfly has on it now. That is my hiking blade. Comfortable handle for a small folder and trims branches easily and is an excellent food processor when need be. I’ve cut the backbone out of a chicken at home just to test capabilities and it zipped through as good or better than some other very good blades. Zero edge damage, micro chips or rolls. It’ll do anything.

I have some excellent photos but they say the files are too large to attach here.

[Bolster]

Of course there are heavyweight and lightweight backpackers. Lightweight is the modern trend--it has largely replaced the heavyweight 1970s and 80s-vintage "carry everything and a spare" ethos, which I remember well, sinking beneath a towering pack. Modern lightweight backpacking is a strategy game of packing only what you need, leaving the rest at home, learning how to adapt with what you have, and making more miles in a day with a lighter pack. It's more about walking and less about camping. It's rare to find an experienced distance backpacker who carries a multitool--simply because it's more than is typically needed. A reduced collection of lightweight individual tools are usually carried instead. Likewise, big belt knives are rare on the Pacific Crest Trail, and can get unfavorable commentary and avoidance--which can be problematic if you want to ask a question or a favor.

PS: I should explain my use of "crunchy," it's intended as a humorous but neutral term. It refers to the fondness of left-leaning environmental folks for eating granola. These usually friendly people are plentiful on the trails of the west coast.

[ladybug93]

i don't carry a pocket knife because i use it constantly. i carry a pocket knife because i might need it at a time where not much else would do. and that's why i carry a belt knife outdoors. it's not because i want to carry a ton of gear or be like rambo. even on an established trail (which i often like to leave behind), it can be dangerous. i'm sure you all are well-aware of the dangers. it just makes sense to me to be prepared with a more capable knife.

[Ferruginous]

S30V Military or UKPK in LC200N.

Like an earlier poster said, the Military is surprisingly light for its size. Extremely efficient blade per ounce. Add in that you can operate it easily with gloves on it's my favorite hiking knife.

If I'm really worried about weight, a UKPK in LC200N goes along but only if I have a fixed blade.

[Ryder]

Bolster and Ladybug you both have some good perspectives. We aren’t all the exact same and have the right to choose our own tools. As we say on the trails, HYOH. (Hike your own hike). Some of my friends carry fixed blades. I do carry the Essentials as in rain gear, down insulation, water, navigation tools, etc. protection from the elements, hydration and knowing how to navigate are my top three. With the blade and a couple more things I carry an expedient fire is at hand. Almost 40 years ago I was forced to make fire in the soaking wettest conditions possible with a folder and methodically did it. Never had to do it since but fire is in that blade.

[ladybug93]

Bolster and Ladybug you both have some good perspectives. We aren’t all the exact same and have the right to choose our own tools. As we say on the trails, HYOH. (Hike your own hike). Some of my friends carry fixed blades. I do carry the Essentials as in rain gear, down insulation, water, navigation tools, etc. protection from the elements, hydration and knowing how to navigate are my top three. With the blade and a couple more things I carry an expedient fire is at hand. Almost 40 years ago I was forced to make fire in the soaking wettest conditions possible with a folder and methodically did it. Never had to do it since but fire is in that blade.

i had an emergency on an overnight once. i had drank through my 3l of water i was carrying and still was bordering on heat stroke. i learned on that hike to never go into the woods without a way to purify water and the knowledge of multiple ways to do it. i hate learning those lessons the hard way.

[Ryder]

You got it Ladybug a good skillset is just as important as the choice of gear and knowledge like water purification is right up at the top.

[ladybug93]

You got it Ladybug a good skillset is just as important as the choice of gear and knowledge like water purification is right up at the top.

"knowledge is power and it's very lightweight."
- cody lundin

eta: i just had a funny thought to add to that quote with regard to learning things the hard way... and just like everything else lightweight, it can be very expensive.

[RustyIron]

"knowledge is power and it's very lightweight."

Sometimes. And other times knowledge weighs heavily upon the soul.

[bdblue]

I do a good amount of hiking and a little bit of backpacking. I used to do a lot of backpacking. I never carried a heavy knife and truthfully don't really need a knife for very much while backpacking. These days I would like to carry one of my Manix 2 LW but I don't want to risk an expensive knife so I carry a LW Tenacious. I think for lightweight backpacking a Delica might be the perfect knife, Endela or Endura next.

[toomanyquestions]

....i had drank through my 3l of water i was carrying and still was bordering on heat stroke....

Wow.

[Doc Dan]

A Mora Companion with sheath is only about 5.5 ounces/155.9g, so that is probably what I'd carry. However, if I were just walking down a city hiking trail I'd carry a Manix 2 LW or a Pac Salt. No matter, I'd carry an alloy framed S&W M638 .38 +P revolver because of the increase in bears, mountain lions, coyotes and wolves, all of which have been attacking people in recent years. There are two legged varmints, too.